Pull To OpenBookmark and Share

Friday, 23 June 2023 - Reported by Chuck Foster
Pull To Open (Credit: Paul Hayes/Ten Acre Films)

Ten Acre Films have announced a new Doctor Who non-fiction book to be published next month. Called Pull to Open, it tells the story of the creation of Doctor Who in 1963 and is written by Paul Hayes, a regular contributor to Doctor Who Magazine whose previous Doctor Who book from Ten Acre, 2021’s The Long Game, told the story of how the programme came to be recommissioned in 2003 and was described by Starburst as an “astonishingly interesting and page-turning... an essential book for anyone interested in the arcane world of British television production.”

Speaking to Doctor Who News about the new book, Paul said:

I very much wanted to try and bring the same approach to the creation of the show in 1963 as The Long Game did for the 1996-2003 period, The idea is to try and provide the same wider background and context to the events – so not just what happened, but why it happened. To give an idea of how BBC television drama worked at that time, the world into which Doctor Who was born, and also to flesh out some of the lives of people we normally only see as names on a list – the likes of Eric Maschwitz and Alice Frick, for example. Pull to Open tells the story from Maschwitz first asking the Script Department about science-fiction in the spring of 1962, to the Daleks first appearing at the end of 1963 – so it’s a book which pretty much entirely concentrates on the creation of the show. That is the story in this book, rather than simply being the start of the story as it sometimes is when told elsewhere. It’s a period which has long fascinated me, and I hope people enjoy reading about it as much as I have enjoyed researching and writing it!

Pull to Open is due for publication on 24 July from Ten Acre Films, the company which has previously published new editions of popular Doctor Who books such as Richard Marson’s biographies of Verity Lambert and John Nathan-Turner and Andrew Cartmel’s diaries. They have also provided documentary features for the Doctor Who classic series Blu-ray range. The foreword is written by actor, comedian and Doctor Who historian Toby Hadoke, who describes Pull to Open as “fresh and compelling… as definitive an account of those early years as I have read.”

The book is available to pre-order now via Ten Acre's website.





FILTER: - Books - Non-Fiction

Celebrating Chris Achilléos - Your MemoriesBookmark and Share

Sunday, 9 February 2020 - Reported by Chuck Foster
An update from Candy Jar Books on their forthcoming book about Doctor Who artist Chris Achilléos:

Kklak: The Doctor Who Art of Chris Achilléos (Credit: Candy Jar Books)Candy Jar Books would like Doctor Who readers to share their thoughts and memories of Chris Achilléos’ Doctor Who artwork (as well as the Target books that featured his art).

Whether they set you on a path that ultimately led to a career, or simply gave you a few lazy Sundays’ entertainment, we’d love to hear your stories. Do you have images of you with Chris, or photos of yourself reading these iconic Target books as a child? We’d love to see them. We want to pay tribute to why these books really matter – how they have touched lives all over the world.

Head of Publishing, Shaun Russell, says:
Last year, we put out a free release celebrating the career of Terrance Dicks, after his passing. A lot of our contributors said that Terrance, and the Target range which he and Chris defined, got them into reading, got them into science fiction, got them into writing as a discipline and ultimately a career. These books changed lives! They changed my life! We want Klaak! to celebrate this.
These contributions will be compiled into a chapter in the upcoming book, Kklak!: The Doctor Who Artwork of Chris Achilléos.

Send your memories, photos or artwork to Shaun Russell with the subject heading KKLAK!.

Each contributor will receive a personally signed paperback copy of the book.
The final date for submissions is the end of February.



Book details:
For the first time ever, an upcoming book, Kklak: the Doctor Who Art of Chris Achilléos, will compile into one volume the entirety of Chris’ artwork for Target. The artwork will be presented chronologically, with accompanying commentary from the artist himself. The book will begin with an exclusive foreword from Achilléos’ long-time friend and collaborator – and the most prolific and popular of all Target’s writers – the late Terrance Dicks.

In many ways, Kklak… is a love letter to the Target range, which was itself a love letter to the Doctor Who fandom. It was Target’s genuine, tangible affection for the universe of Doctor Who that first inspired Candy Jar’s head of publishing, Shaun Russell, to get into the book world. As Shaun explains:
The Target novels were a huge part of our childhoods. And when it came to our own range of Doctor Who books, the Lethbridge-Stewart series, they were an inspiration. You could always tell that they were produced by fellow fans. There was an attention to detail, and a level of quality, which spoke of the affection their creators held for the show. From the first moment you picked up a Target title, with one of Chris Achilléos’ brilliant designs on the cover, you knew that you were in for something special.
Featuring every one of Achilléos’ Doctor Who designs, as well as never before seen material giving insight into his creative process, Kklak: the Doctor Who Art of Chris Achilléos is released in late spring 2020 by Candy Jar Books.




FILTER: - Books - Candy Jar Books - Non-Fiction

Kklak: The Doctor Who Art of Chris AchilléosBookmark and Share

Sunday, 24 November 2019 - Reported by Chuck Foster
Candy Jar Books have announced a new book to feature the classic Doctor Who artwork of Chris Achilléos:

Kklak: The Doctor Who Art of Chris Achilléos (Credit: Candy Jar Books)In his five decades as an illustrator, painter and conceptual artist, Chris Achilléos has four best-selling books of his art, Beauty and the Beast, Syrens, Medusa and Amazona. He worked with the likes of George Lucas, as well as producing the iconic promotional art for the cult film Heavy Metal. But it is probably his work for Doctor Who that is the most enduringly popular.

His covers for the official Target novelisations, which began in the early ‘70s, defined a generation’s image of the Doctor and his adventures – particularly after the show disappeared from British screens in the late ‘80s.

Lavishly detailed, with psychedelic overtones and an unapologetically pulpy sensibility, these covers perfectly captured the eccentric appeal of the classic series. To this day, Doctor Who luminaries tip their hat to the influence of Achilléos’ work. The opening of a 2016 exhibition of Target’s cover artwork at the Cartoon Museum, London, attracted the series’ then-showrunner Steven Moffat, as well as twelfth Doctor Peter Capaldi.

With the Doctor long back on our screens, and more popular than ever, it is perhaps surprising that Achilléos’ Whovian oeuvre (or Whoeuvre, if you will) has never been collected in one place.

Kklak: The Doctor Who Art of Chris Achilléos, an upcoming title from award-winning independent publisher Candy Jar Books, aims to address this. For the first time, it collects the entirety of Achilléos’ Doctor Who artwork in chronological order, along with commentary from Achilléos himself (as well as some fans) – presenting the definitive guide to his seminal work. The book also includes a small contribution from twelfth Doctor Peter Capaldi and a foreword from Achilléos’ long-time friend and collaborator, the late Terrance Dicks.

Achilléos explains his motivations for compiling the book:

I go to a lot of conventions, and the enduring affection of the fans for those Target novelisations is such a compliment. As an artist you’re always wary of being pigeonholed – you want all your work to receive the same amount of attention! But Doctor Who is such a phenomenon, and the commitment of the fans so pure, you have to be grateful. I hope they enjoy this special book.

As the home of the Lethbridge-Stewart series, one of only a handful of fully licensed Doctor Who ranges outside of the BBC, Candy Jar was the natural home for Achilléos’ new title. As Candy Jar’s head of publishing, Shaun Russell, explains:

The Target novels were a huge part of our childhood. And when it came to our own range of Doctor Who books, they were an inspiration. You could always tell that they were produced by people who cared. There was an attention to detail, and a level of quality, which quite frankly, went above and beyond what was necessary. Doctor Who will sell regardless, but as a series it means so much to people – and to us here at Candy Jar – that you want to do repay that. And from the first moment you picked up a Target title, with one Chris Achilléos’ brilliant designs on the cover, you knew that you were in for something wonderful. His work manages to capture everything that makes Doctor Who special, and stand alone as works of art in their own right. When Chris first spoke with us, I jumped at the chance to work with him.

Featuring every one of Achilléos’ Doctor Who designs, as well as never before seen material giving insight into his creative process, Kklak: the Doctor Who Art of Chris Achilléos is released in April 2020 by Candy Jar Books.

The book will be available as paperback and deluxe hardback edition, and can be pre-ordered from Candy Jar Books.




FILTER: - Books - Candy Jar Books - Non-Fiction

BBC Books: The WhoniverseBookmark and Share

Friday, 2 September 2016 - Reported by Chuck Foster
BBC Books have released details on their latest book dealing with Doctor Who universe, due to be published in October:

The Whoniverse (Credit: BBC Books)The Whoniverse
By Justin Richards and George Mann
Published 27th October 2016 by BBC Books [pre-order from Amazon UK]


The Whoniverse is a never-before-seen history of the Human Race – from the formation of Earth round the Racnoss eggs, and the creation of life by the destruction of the last Jagaroth spaceship, through to the eventual expansion of the sun and end of the world and beyond – to New Earth, and Utopia...

Along the way, The Whoniverse also explores the untold histories of other planets and other lifeforms as they have interacted with humanity. We examine the Daleks and Cybermen, the Time Lords and the Sontarans, the Ice Warriors, Silurians, Weeping Angels, and many many more... We visit Gallifrey and Skaro, Mondas and Telos, Mars and Sontar, to explore how their histories have coincided with the Time Lords, and with our own.

With full-colour illustrations, maps, charts and photography from key Doctor Who artists including Alex Fort, Chris J Lees and many more, The Whoniverse is a dramatic retelling of the uprisings, wars and battles that formed Doctor Who’s universe, and an astonishing compendium of the races that live within it. A treasury of accumulated knowledge, scholarly erudition and accumulated folk wisdom, it is the definitive, essential companion to this universe, and any other.


Hardcover, 320 pages





FILTER: - BBC Books - Books - Merchandise - Non-Fiction

Artificial BeingsBookmark and Share

Saturday, 13 August 2016 - Reported by Chuck Foster
Candy Jar Books have announced the forthcoming publication of their latest reference book:

Connecting Who - Artificial Beings (Credit: Candy Jar Books)Connecting Who: Artificial Beings
Written by Peter Grehan

The Cybermen, the Weeping Angels, the Daleks… the artificial beings of Doctor Who are some of the most iconic in science fiction. But what inspired them?

Connecting Who traces their origins back to the myths, folktales and real events of history; the teachings of religion; not to mention the wealth of other sci fi writing from which Doctor Who has drawn.


Peter Grehan has been an avid fan since Doctor Who’s very first broadcast. With him as your guide, explore the wealth of material which lies behind the longest running science fiction series of all time.

Author Peter Grehan said:
Imagine Doctor Who as a tree trunk that keeps growing taller and taller, fed by roots that reach down into history, mythology, psychology, folktales, religion, science and the wealth of science fiction that exists in the world. It’s not surprising therefore to find that Doctor Who connects with a lot of other stuff.

The book investigates some of those connections in regards to artificial beings such as clever computers, robots, androids and cyborgs, and their connections to literary and scientific sources. As well as the Daleks, the book examines beings such as the Cybermen, Daleks, Autons, Weeping Angels, Gangers, Morbius, Xoanon and the Yeti.

Shaun Russell, head of publishing at Candy Jar Books, said:
Peter has been a fan of Doctor Who since day one and his take on the Whoniverse offers a personal outlook on growing up with the series. His childhood love of robots coincided with the introduction of the Daleks and, despite the Daleks not really being robots, their cries of exterminate cemented his love for all things Doctor Who.

Peter added:
In my book I have enjoyed making the connections between Doctor Who and real-life computers, robots and cyborgs. These connections run deep into culture, history and science. It is my hope that fans will not only enjoy reading my book, but begin to connect the dots themselves.


Connecting Who: Artificial Beings is available to pre-order exclusively from Candy Jar Books, and all pre-orders come with a free copy of Lethbridge-Stewart: Beast of Fang Rock.




FILTER: - Books - Candy Jar Books - Non-Fiction

Space, Time, Machine, Monster: Doctor Who EditionBookmark and Share

Monday, 29 February 2016 - Reported by Chuck Foster
Candy Jar Books have announced a new non-fiction title that delves into the science of Doctor Who:

Space, Time, Machine, Monster: Doctor Who Edition (Credit: Candy Jar Books)Space, Time, Machine, Monster: Doctor Who Edition
Written by Mark Brake and Jon Chase
Illustrated by Terry Cooper
Published by Candy Jar Books

Space, Time, Machine, Monster: Doctor Who Edition takes you on a journey into the science of Doctor Who.

Jam-packed with aliens, time machines, spaceships and lots of monsters, this book explores the secrets of the Universe’s favourite Time Lord.

And, for an extra bit of fun, we present our own Doctor Who Top 10s on topics such as planets, companions, favourite stories and catchphrases!

So how does a Dalek poo? Let’s find out!

The book is edited by Shaun Russell and Andy Frankham-Allen; Russell commented:
We had already released Mark’s Space, Time, Machine, Monster book based on science fiction in general. It seemed a natural progression to concentrate on Doctor Who. It was also great to welcome Jon Chase to the fold. His credentials are second-to-none; having worked on the BBC Bitesize Science TV series.

As well as Space, Time, Machine, Monster, Mark Brake has also written Space Hoppers, Really, Really Big Questions about Space and Time, and The Alien Hunter’s Handbook. On this new tome, he said:
Doctor Who was originally created to teach history and science. Even though the show has changed, I feel fundamentally that the Doctor’s adventures have something to teach us about our own world. My mission was to explore concepts from the series and see how they feature in our everyday lives.

The book can be purchased (for a limited period) as part of the Lethbridge-Stewart: Moon Blink bundle, or alongside the original Space, Time, Machine, Monster; full details can be found on the Candy Jar Books website.




FILTER: - Books - Candy Jar Books - Non-Fiction

Then and Now: Doctor Who In ReviewBookmark and Share

Monday, 2 November 2015 - Reported by Chuck Foster
Long term historian and collector David J Howe has announced a new book that looks into the Doctor's travels in his ninth and tenth incarnations:

Then and Now: Doctor Who in Review (Credit: Telos)THEN AND NOW: DOCTOR WHO IN REVIEW: 1
Written by David J Howe (order from UK / USA)

Doctor Who is one of the most reviewed and talked about shows that the BBC has ever broadcast. It has enjoyed over fifty years of popularity, and continues to thrill children and adults all over the world. Now, noted Doctor Who historian and writer David J Howe, presents his own views and thoughts on the ‘second incarnation’ of the series, which started in March 2005 with Christopher Eccleston playing the Doctor, and then continued until January 2010 with David Tennant at the helm.

Every episode, including some of the special mini-episodes, are analysed and reviewed, and the path of the Doctor’s adventures through the series is charted. From the highlights to the low points, David J Howe considers the show against its broad history both as a viewer at the time, and also with the benefit of hindsight, with a current re-watch of the episodes.

A marvellous romp through four years of time travel ... come along and enjoy the ride!

A piece about the writing of the book can also be found on the author's website.




FILTER: - Books - Merchandise - Non-Fiction